RACQ warns about 'driving karma'

Call it "karma".

New research has found drivers' behaviour behind the wheel can come back to benefit or bite them later on.

The 12-month study, conducted by RACQ and the University of Sunshine Coast, investigated how our emotional driving habits affect our bodies.

It found "nice" drivers helped their motorist peers, reducing stress levels and encouraging them to replicate the courtesy.

But their hot-tempered counterparts had the opposite effect, increasing the likelihood of simple errors.

"Aggressive behaviour directly impacts our health (and) how we feel and the psychology we take into the rest of the day," RACQ spokesman Paul Turner said.

"In other words, there's a karma about driving."

Mr Turner said there were long-term health benefits to being a calm motorist, and likewise, consequences such as heightened resting blood pressure for road ragers.

The research also found "annoying infrastructure" such as roadworks frustrated Queensland drivers.

Participants completed real-life road situations in a state-of-the art driving simulator to test their reactions.